A conference looking at some of the ways in which agricultural improvement is being achieved in East Anglia with the help of grants from the Felix Thornley Cobbold Agricultural Trust, which was held at the Felix Cobbold Centre, Stanaway Farm, Charity Lane, Otley, Ipswich onThursday 26 November 2015.

The meeting discussed how our grants support agricultural development in East Anglia. The four speakers all use Felix Cobbold Trust financial support in a variety of ways, to educate children about food production, to research solutions to plant disease, to protect the rural environment and to educate the wider public about the importance of British farming. It was a snapshot of how the £150,000 available each year is used, and provided a background to further discussion on how the Trust's resources could be used in the future for the benefit of agriculture in East Anglia. Programme

TRUSTEES MEETING, 5 July 20161. David Henley, Easton & Otley College Principal, presented his vision for the future of agricultural education in the region, which Trustees welcomed.2. 77 per cent income was derived from rents and 22 per cent from stocks.3. 29 per cent income was distributed as grants, 55 per cent was held in reserve.4. £10,350 was awarded as new grants to three applicants.5. Trustees viewed the condition of Stanaway Farmhouse, and agreed to instruct Agents to undertake full renovation incorporating third floor additional bedrooms.

TRUSTEES MEETING, 3 November 2015

Stephen Cobbald retired as Chairman and Trustee

James Fiorrest was elected Chairman

Alan Hawes was elected Vice-chairman

Trustees awarded grants totalling £24,661 to four applicants

james Forrest paid tribute to Stephen Cobbald's dedicated chairmanship of the Trust, during which the total grants awarded had exceeded £1 million.

Trustees meeting 16 July 2013

1. Following the sale of 1.42 acres of land for £49,700, Trustees agreed to invest an additional £50,000 in COIF units to raise the total holding (on 30 June values) to £1,229,686.2. INCOME: 81% rents, 13% COIF dividends and interest, 6% other. DISTRIBUTION: 75% grants, 14% Administration, 8% land agency and property, 3% other.3. Grants awarded at this meeting: £1250 towards training costs for farm conservation advisers. £5000 award for Norfolk student to study for BVSc at Bristol University. £13,504 to Rothamsted Research for the cost of transcriptome sequencing of sugar beet root nucleic acid samples by TGAC, Norwich. £3750 for for completion of PhD and MSc on phoma stem canker.4. Trustees agreed to provide apprpriate support for the development of a viable farm worker training course at Easton&Otley College. 5. The total for all grants awarded from 2007 through to 2018 was £577,780.

Annual General Meeting, October 2012

New Trustee

Stephen Miles was appointed as a Trustee at the Trust’s AGM on 30 October 2012. Stephen farms 3000 acres at Great Ashfield in Suffolk, producing mainly wheat, barley, oilseed rape and sugar beet. He has a long record of service to farming in the county having been a Steward of the Suffolk Show for many years, and its Director for three years from 2005 to 2007. In 2011 he was honoured with the appointment of High Sherriff for Suffolk, an historic office reaching back over 1000 years.

Reappointments of Trustees

Alan Hawes, Mike May and John Wall were reappointed to serve a further three years as Trustees.

Trustee retires

Robert Baker, a Trustee since 2003, has retired from the Trust to focus his commitment on his new role as Director of the Suffolk Agricultural Association, which he takes up in 2013 for a three-year term. Robert served the Trust as Vice-chairman during a period of great change when the decision was made in 2006 to cease operating as a demonstration farm in order to provide grants to a wider range of beneficiaries.